Russia’s Strategic Legacy in the Space Industry: USSR’s Technological Foothold and Sovereign Vision of the Future

The year of 2024 saw several anniversaries related to the national rocket and space industry. Russia celebrated the 90th anniversary of the birthday of three outstanding Soviet cosmonauts: Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space; Alexei Leonov, the first cosmonaut to conduct a spacewalk; Boris Valynov, who set an absolute world record of 30 years of service in the cosmonaut corps. The country celebrated the 195th anniversary of the outstanding Russian philosopher and cosmologist Nikolai Fyodorov, who was the first to substantiate the idea of space exploration. In addition, the year of 2024 was the 20th anniversary of the first successful start of the Soyuz 2.1a rocket vehicle, which proved itself as a reliable and effective tool for launching various spacecraft into orbit. In this research, we collected statistical information for analysis and visual representation. We focused on the key aspects of strategizing the development of the Russian space sector and the fundamental principles of the Soviet school of cosmonautics. We considered the strategically important technologies and successes of the space industry, as well as the visions of the future shared by Russian scientists and cosmonauts. The outstanding achievements of Soviet cosmonautics allow Russia to increase its influence in the global space sphere. The founders of Soviet space industry remain a model to follow for those who are working hard to strengthen the national sovereignty in this area today. However, modern realities dictate the need for innovations in space exploration. Computer modeling is a major strategic element in this sphere as it visualizes and predicts various complex-controlled processes. The Central Institute for Economics and Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, is the main national developer and license holder from the state corporation Roscosmos for research in this sphere.